Buggy-shaft support.



J. D. MoGABE.

BUGGY SHAFT SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED Dnc. 22, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Nov. 9. 1909.

wumow J. I). MOUABE- BUGGY SHAFT SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED 1330.22, 1908.

Patented Nov. 9. 1909.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEFF D. MCCABE, OF WDODBURY, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ROBT. LESLEY MASON AND ONE-THIRD T0 BENJAMIN LAURENCE, BOTH 0F WOOIDBURY,

TEN NESSEE.

BUGG-Y-SHAFT SUPPORT.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed December 22, 1908. Serial N 0. 468,750.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JEFF D. MCCABE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbury, in the county of Cannon and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Buggy-Shaft Support, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in buggy shaft supports.

'lhe object of the present invention is to improve the construction of buggy shaft supports, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient support, adapted when the shafts are swung upward after unhitching a horse to automatically hold them in elevated position, and capable of automatically releasing the shafts when the same are pulled downward with the necessary degree of force. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a shaft support of this character, capable of vertical adjustment to adapt its parts to the height of a spring bar or body loop and to the position of the cross bar of the thills.

Another obj ect of the invention is to pro vide a device adapted to be applied to buggies, equipped at the top of the front spring with either an ordinary wooden spring bar or a metallic body loop.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any. of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shaft support, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to the front portion of a buggy. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view, taken longitudinally of the buggy. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the loop and a portion of the cross bar of the shafts. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shaft support, showing the same applied to a portion of a buggy having a wooden spring bar. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view. Fig. 6

is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

7 The shaft support comprises in its construction a vertical standard consisting of a wooden bar or body portion 1 and a metallic strap or piece doubled or bent at its center to form a top loop 2 and two spaced sides 3, which are secured to the wooden body portion 1 at the side edges or faces thereof by means of transverse fastening devices 4:, piercing the metallic side members 3 and the wooden body portion at the upper and lower ends of the standard, but any desired number of fastening devices may of course be employed. The lower ends of the metallic side pieces 3 are bent outward to form horizontal arms 5, which are secured to a transversely disposed horizontal bottom plate or piece 6 by rivets 7, or other suitable fastening devices. The arms 5 and the bottom plate or piece 6 are curved to conform to the configuration of the top portion of a body loop 8 or the top portions of clips 9 for securing a wooden spring bar 10 to the front spring 11 of the buggy. In Figs. 1 and'2 of the drawings, the device is shown applied to a buggy equipped with the metallic body loop 8, which is secured in i the usual manner to a front spring 12, while in Figs. A to '6 inclusive, the standard is mounted upon the spring bar 10.

When the device is applied to a buggy having a body loop, it is mounted upon the top of the same by means of a clip including a bottom horizontal clip plate 15 and front and rear clip members 14: and 15, having lower rounded terminals, extending through the clip plate 13, and threaded to receive nuts for engaging the lower. face of the clip plate in the usual manner. The upper portions of the clip members are of a width corresponding substantially to the width of the'body portion of the standard, and are provided with a plurality of perforations front and rear perforations 16 and 17 of 18 and 19, adapted to receive a bolt 20 for connecting the clip members to the lower portion of the standard. The perforations 18 and 19 enable the standard to be. adjusted with respect to the clip members. The clip plate is provided between its ends with a relatively large opening 21, adapted to enable the clip plate to fit over the nut of the central bolt 22, which secures the body loop to the upper portion of the frontspring.

When the standard is applied to a buggy having a spring bar, a clip member 23 is employed. The clip member 23, which consists of a single piece of the ordinary construction, is composed of two sides and a connecting top, which extends through an opening or space 24 between the lower end of the body portion 1 of the standard and the base plate 6. The lower end of the standard is spaced from the base plate to provide a bottom opening for the reception of the clip member 23, which embraces the spring bar. The front side of the clip member 23 passes through the front perforation 16 of the clip plate, and the rear side passes through an intermediate perforation 25. The rear side of the clip 23 is arranged in contact with the spring bar, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, while the rear clip member 15 is spaced from the spring and the body loop, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The standard is connected with. the body 26 of the buggy by means of an up-right brace 27, located in rear of the standard, and provided with upper and lower arms 28 and 29. The lower arm 29 extends beneath the bottom of the buggy and is provid d with perforations for the reception of bolts, or other suitable fastening devices for securing the brace to the body of the buggy. The upper arm is angularly bent to provide a vertical attaching portion and an inclined portion, extending from the attaching portion to the upper end of the vertical body portion of the brace. The upper arm of the brace is provided with a plurality of perforations 30, and the body portion of the standard is also provided at intervals with perforations 31. The attaching arm of the brace is adjustably connected with the standard by means of a bolt 32, arranged in one of the perforations 30 of the brace and extending through one of the perforations 31 of the standard. The brace assists in maintaining the standard in a vertical position and prevents the spring from twisting under the weight of the shafts 33, when the same are connected with the standard by the means hereinafter described.

The upper portion of the standard supports a catch 34, constructed of spring metal and composed of upper and lower spring arms or sides and a connecting rear portion. The outer or front ends 35 of the sides of the spring catch are rolled or bent backward on themselves to stiffen the catch and to provide an enlarged or flaring mouth or entrance for guiding a loop 36 into engagement with the arms. The loop 36, which is approximately U-shaped, is provided with diverging terminal attaching portions 37, having perforations for the re-- ception of fastening devices for securlng the loop to the lower face of the cross bar 38 of the shafts. The loop extends rearwardly and upwardly from the cross bar 38, and its outer or rear portion is curved transversely of. the buggy and is approximately elliptical in cross section to present rounded upper faces and edges. The catch 34 is sufficiently stiff and strong to maintain the thills in an elevated position, when the same are swung upward, and it projects forwardly from the standard in position for antomatically engaging the loop, when the shafts are elevated. The shafts are also adapted to be disengaged from the catch by pulling or swinging them downward with the necessary pressure.

The catch is secured to the uppePportion of the standard by means of a horizontally disposed clip 39, embracing the standard and receiving the inner or rear connecting portion of the catch, a cushion 40 of leather or other suitable material being preferably interposed between the catch and the standard, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The clip is provided with a clip plate ll, extending across the rear face of the standard and provided with a pointed projection or tip T2 for engaging recesses et3 of the body portion of the standard, whereby the clip is interlocked with the standard and is prevented from accidentally working upward or downward. The recesses L3 are arranged at intervals, and the clip is adjustable to position the catch properly with relation to the loop of the cross bar. The catch may be adjusted by simply loosening the nuts of the clip without removing the clip plate from the clip.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 4 1. A shaft support including a standard, a catch arranged in a vertical position in front of the standard and composed of spaced sides and a connecting portion, means for securing the connecting portion to the standard, and a cooperating loop having terminal attaching arms to be secured to the lower face of the cross bar of a pair of shafts and extending upwardly and rearwardly, the engaging portion of the loop being located above andin rear of the said cross bar, whereby when the shafts are swung upward the loop will be carried between and engaged by the sides of the catch without the cross bar of the shafts coming in contact with the same.

2. A shaft support including a standard, a catch projecting forwardly from the standard and composed of spaced sides and a connecting portion, a clip passing between the sides of the catch and embracing the connecting portion thereof and the standard and adjustably securing the catch to the front of the standard, said clip being rovided with means located at the back of the standard for detachably interlocking it with the same, and a member cooperating with the catch and having means for connecting it with a pair of shafts.

3. A shaft support including a standard, a catch extending forwardly from the standard, a horizontal clip embracing the standard and receiving the catch and provided with a clip plate having a projection for engaging the standard, the latter being provided with a plurality of recesses for the reception of said projection, whereby the clip is interlocked with the standard, and a member cooperating with the catch and having means for connecting it with a pair of shafts.

a. A shaft support including a standard provided at its lower end with means for mounting it upon the front spring of a vehicle, a catch extending forwardly from the standard, a cooperating member designed to be connected with a pair of shafts and adapted to engage with the catch, and a brace secured at its upper portion to the standard and provided at its lower end with means for connecting it with the bottom of a buggy.

5. A shaft support including a standard provided at its lower end with means for mounting it upon the front spring of a Vehicle, a catch extending forwardly from the standard, a cooperating member designed to be connected with a pair of shafts and adapted to engage with the catch, and an upright brace located in rear of the standard and provided at its upper end with a forwardly extending angular arm secured to the standard, the lower end of the brace being provided with a rearwardly extending arm arranged to be fastened to the lower end of a buggy.

6. A shaft support including a vertical standard composed of a body portion, and a metallic strip doubled at its center to form two sides and having its terminals bent outward to provide arms, and a base plate located beneath and connecting the arms, means for securing the standard to a spring, and cooperating elements for detachably connecting a pair of shafts with the standard.

7. A shaft support including a standard composed of a body portion, and metallic sides spaced apart to receive the body portion and having their lower terminals bent at an angle, and a base plate secured to the lower terminals of the said side and arranged in spaced relation with the body portion, the opening between the body portion and the base plate being adapted to receive a clip, and cooperatingelements for detachably connecting a pair of shafts with the standard.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own,-I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JEFF D. MoCABE.

Witnesses:

H. J. ST. JOHN, J. W. HEATHERLY. 

